Gun sight



GUN SIGHT Filed April 24, 1957 5 w W W WW m 2 g @v M W M w M l a Md w 0 United States Patent GUN SIGHT Richard W. Conant, Glastonbury, Conn., assignor to Poly Choke Company, Incorporated, East Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application April 24, 1957, Serial No. 654,775

2 Claims. (Cl. 33-52) This invention relates to a gun sight and relates more particularly to a front gun sight which, while not limited thereto, is admirably suited for use on a shotgun.

Shooters have often encountered difiicul-ty in detecting or following their front gun sights under poor light conditions. Frequently the front gun sight is hard to distinguish from the background in the field of vision. It is known that some attempts have been made to solve this problem, but it is believed that these attempts have not been entirely successful. Some persons have used a coating of fluorescent material over a sight bead. Some have employed fluorescent substances to cast light on a nearby object mounted on the gun barrel and employed as a sight. Still others have dyed clear plastic resins with fluorescent substances and used the resultant material in a sight structure.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved front gun sight of the type having a sight bead for sharp color contrast with a target and which is more readily visible when light conditions are poor. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved front gun sight of the type incorporating a fluorescent substance.

A further object is to provide a sight bead which may be readily adapted to a number of types of sight holders. Still another object is to provide a front sight having the parts thereof uniquely constructed and arranged.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a shotgun muzzle, illustrating a sight embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view in section, taken on the longitudinal median plane of the muzzle;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrates a sight of modified form;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, further illustrating the form of the sight shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the sight bead of the lastmentioned form.

As illustrated in the drawing in Figs. 1-3, the inven tion may be embodied in a front bead-type gun sight which is shown mounted upon the front or muzzle end of a gun barrel 10, which includes a base block 11 of elongate form arranged longitudinally of the gun barrel, a body 12 of fluorescent material extending rearwardly from the block 11 toward the shooter, and a transparent plastic shell 13 fixed to the block 11 and forming a protective cover for the body 12. It will be understood that the body 12, covered by the transparent shell 13, forms the sight bead. As shown in Fig. 2, the base block 11 is provided with a depending post-like part 14 which is threaded into the gun barrel to secure the block 11 to the latter. At the rear end, the block 11 is drilled to provide a longitudinal dead-end bore 15 to receive the body 12 in the protective cover 13. As best shown in Fig. 3, the upper part of the block 11 is rounded, as at 16, and at the lower part the block 11 is provided at its ice respective sides with laterally projecting flanges 17. The flanges 17 project beyond the sight bead and provide a color contrast with the latter.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the shell 13 is of elongate form and extends longitudinally of the block 11, the shell having a cylindrical portion 13 received in the bore 15 of the block and having a press fit with the block. The cylindrical portion 13 terminates rearwardly in an enlarged rounded end 13 of the shell. This end of the shell, which is of larger diameter than the bore 15, abuts the rear extremity of the block 11 in the manner shown in Fig. 2. At its other end, the shell 13 is open and it is through this last-mentioned end that the body 12 is inserted into the shell. It will be understood that the body 12 is put into the shell prior to assembly of the latter with the block 11. The shell 13 may be formed of transparent plastic material. One of the acrylic resins may be conveniently employed for this purpose, methylmethacrylate, for example.

The body 12 may be conveniently constituted by a quantity of fluorescent paint. It has been found that the fluorescent paint distributed by the Sherwin Williams Company under the trademark Day-Glo is very satisfactory for this purpose. It may be noted that, as indicated in Fig. 2, the fluorescent body 12 substantially fills the cavity of the shell 13 and this cavity extends well into the enlarged rounded end portion 13 of the shell. Also as indicated in the last-mentioned view, the fluorescent body 12 is of relatively large mass. If the body 12 does not till the entire cavity in the shell 13, it is important that the body substantially fill that part of the cavity which extends into the rounded end of the shell.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 4-6, the sight head is of somewhat different form and is mounted in a different manner. In the form shown in Figs. 4-6 the base block 18 is of the ramp type and is secured to the gun barrel by a separable screw 19 extending through a vertical bore 20 formed in the block. The bore 20 is enlarged by a counterbore to provide an annular seat 21 for the head of the screw. As shown in Fig. 5, the head of the screw 19 is substantially flush with the top of the block. The ramp portion at the rear end of the block 18 is indicated at 22, and adjacent the top of the last-mentioned portion the block 18 is provided with a vertical opening extending therethrough and formed by a bore 23. The bore 23 is enlarged by a counterbore to form a downwardly facing annular shoulder 24. The sight bead is received in the bore 23 and extends upwardly a distance beyond the top of the block 18. The sight bead is constituted by a fluorescent body 25, similar to the fluorescent body 12 described above, and a shell 26. The shell 26 is formed of the same material as the shell 13, described above, and the shell 26 is similar in many respects to the shell 13. At its upper end, the shell 26 is rounded, as at 27, on an arc of greater length than the are on which the shell 13 is rounded. At the other end, the shell 26 is provided with a radial flange 28 which is seated against the shoulder 24 of the block. In this form, the rounded end of the shell is not enlarged. It will be understood that the body 25, covered by the protective shell 26, is inserted with the latter into the block 18 through the bottom of the latter, and the flange 28 may be held in place against the annular shoulder 24 by being sandwiched between the latter and the gun barrel. As in the first form, the cavity in the shell 26 and the body 25 extend well beyond the base block, and the sight bead forms a sharp color contrast with the block. The sight bead extends above the ramp portion 22 in the manner indicated in Fig. 5. In both forms,

the shell provides a very effective protective cover for the fluorescent body, the shell completely encircling the body transversely of the length of the latter and also extending over the outer or exposed end of the body.

In accordance with the foregoing disclosure, there is provided an improved gun sight of the type having a sight head for sharp color contrast with a target and which is more readily visible when light conditions are poor. The sight incorporates a fluorescent body protected by a transparent plastic cover. It will be understood that the transparent cover not only prevents abrasion or wearing away of the fluorescent material but also tends to protect the body from breakage. Furthermore, the light-conducting characteristics of the material from which the cover or shell is formed are highly advantageous in this combination.

While only two forms of the gun sight have been illustrated and described in the drawing, it will be apparent that the gun sight is susceptible of various modifications and changes in the details without departure from the principles of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a gun sight, a base block for mounting on the front end of a gun barrel and elongated lengthwise of the barrel, the block having a raised semi-cylindrical part forming with the lower part of the block a longitudinal dead-end bore extending through the rear thereof, a generally cylindrical shell of elongate form having an open forward end, the shell extending into the bore in tight-fitting relation for support by the block and the shell being formed of light-piping plastic material and having an enlarged rounded part, completely closing the other end of the shell, extending rearwardly from the block and forming a hollow extension of the shell completely obscuring the rear end of said semicylindrical part and a lower part of the block, the extension abutting the rear of the block, and a body of fluorescent material in the shell for support and protection by the latter and covering at least that portion of the inner surface thereof which is provided by the exposed and rearward extension of the shell.

2. In a gun sight, a base block for mounting on the front end of a gun barrel and elongated lengthwise of the barrel, the block having at the rear thereof a ramp portion and having a vertical bore extending therethrough in the region of said portion, a generally cylindrical shell of elongate form having an openinner end, the shell extending into the bore and having a radial flange at said end of the shell which seats against an enlargement of the bore to prevent outward dislocation of the shell, and the shell being formed of light-piping plastic material and having a rounded part, completely closing the other end of the shell, extending outwardly from the block in said region thereof and forming a hollow extension of the shell said rounded part being undercut to provide substantially a spherical bead projecting upwardly from the ramp, and a body of fluorescent material in the shell for support and protection by the latter and covering at least that portion of the inner surface thereof which is provided by the exposed and upward extension of the shell.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 529,424 Von Skoda Nov. 20, 1894 1,307,647 Watson June 24, 1919 1,319,313 Watson Oct. 21, 1919 1,355,193 Van Amberg Oct. 12, 1920 1,431,926 Bradley Oct. 17, 1922 1,433,422 Spencer Oct. 24, 1922 2,007,437 Wagner July 9, 1935 2,706,335 Munsey .4... Apr. 19, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,270 Great Britain AD. 1915 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 2,911,724 November 10, 1959 Richard W, Conant It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below, v

In the grant, lines 2 and 12, and in the heading to the printed specification, lines 3 and 4, name of assignee, for "Poly Choke Company, Incorporated,", in each occurrence, read The Poly Choke Company, Incorporated,

Signed and sealed this 26th day of April 1960 (SEAL) Attest: I

KARL AXLINE I ROBERT c. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

